Bono Tidal Bore
One Of The Few Surfable Tidal Bores On Earth A Wave That Runs Upstream Against The Current Of The Kampar River, For Tens Of Kilometres, On The Spring Tides · Teluk Meranti, Riau
A TIDAL BORE IS A WAVE THAT TRAVELS UPSTREAM. When a big incoming tide funnels into a river mouth that narrows and shallows fast enough, the front of the tide stands up into a wave and runs inland against the current - and the KAMPAR RIVER in Riau produces one of THE FEW ON EARTH BIG ENOUGH TO SURF. It can reach several metres and RUNS FOR TENS OF KILOMETRES, which means a ride here is measured in minutes and kilometres rather than seconds. LOCAL MALAY TRADITION CALLED THE WAVES BONO AND FEARED THEM - the larger sets were the seven ghosts, and they wrecked boats and drowned people for centuries. SURFERS ONLY ARRIVED AROUND 2010, and long-distance river-wave records have been set here since. IT IS NOT A BEACH BREAK. The water is brown and opaque, the river carries logs, crocodiles are present, and there is no rescue service of any kind - which is why nobody goes out without a local boat running alongside.
Kampar river, Pelalawan Regency, Riau, Teluk Meranti, Riau, Indonesia
THE BONO RUNS ON THE SPRING TIDES AND NOT OTHERWISE. It appears around the FULL AND NEW MOON, building for a few days either side, and is strongest in the months when tides are highest - locally reckoned around NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER AND FEBRUARY TO MARCH. THERE IS NO SCHEDULE YOU CAN LOOK UP FROM ABROAD: work from a tide table and from local operators, and expect to wait. GETTING THERE IS A FLIGHT TO PEKANBARU, then FIVE TO SEVEN HOURS BY ROAD to TELUK MERANTI, then boats. ACCOMMODATION IN TELUK MERANTI IS BASIC HOMESTAYS and should be arranged in advance. SURFERS GO OUT WITH LOCAL BOATS, which is not optional - there is no rescue service and the river carries logs and debris. Crocodiles are present.